Diary Of Being A Writer; Week 75

Stress and Optimism

Wednesday14th August

So you know all that careful looking after my physical and mental health that I have been doing? Well, it all went to shit yesterday because I had a stressful encounter at work. I got bailed up in the kitchen by one of my senior colleagues before I had even got to my desk. I was told I had made a terrible mistake. I felt awful. All-day. Then I found out I had made no such mistake, but the colleague was still going to put me in a position where I would be wearing the blame.
It has meant a sleepless night. It has meant rumination. It has meant I am now anxious and depressed. However, because I have been doing all the self-care stuff, I am hoping that this will pass reasonably quickly. My workplace is fair and supportive, but once I am anxious, it takes a little while to climb back down again.
I am in no state to approach my memoir today. That requires a light heart and a light touch. I have neither of those today. I know Neil Gaiman says when you have finished a book, you won’t know which words were written on a bad day. That is all well and good, but I am going to go easy on myself and do some writing that doesn’t involve the tragedies of my previous life.
Thankfully I have a Dream Author Podcast and Writing Exercise in my inbox, so that sounds like the perfect activity for this morning.